Big price for tiny Pearl Jam fan

By BECK ELEVEN - The Press

Baby Lamont Harper Davidson may be the smallest Pearl Jam fan – but his parents have had to pay a sizeable price to get their son into a Christchurch concert.

Being a breastfed baby, three-month-old Lamont accompanied parents Melanie and Andrew Davidson to the Pearl Jam concert on Sunday night.

The Methven couple, who had tickets to a corporate box, assumed their baby could enter AMI Stadium for free.

However, on reaching the ticket gate, they were told Lamont would have to buy a $121 concert ticket.

Melanie Davidson said they had decided to take their son because they were in the warmth and comfort of a corporate box, with protection from the noise.

Moments before being stopped at the gate, the Davidsons were "elated" to catch a glimpse of support act Ben Harper, after whom their baby was named.

They were told they would either have to leave or buy their son a ticket, a process that cost them $121 and meant they missed Harper's first four songs.

Vbase chief executive Bryan Pearson said the "no ticket, no entry" stance had been a one-off mistake.

"Unfortunately, when you're making a myriad of calls on the night, the appropriate decisions and steps aren't always taken, and this time we made a mistake," he said.

"We had other people in the audience that night with infants, and they didn't have to buy tickets."

The cost of the baby's ticket would be refunded and Pearson offered the Davidsons tickets to another show of their choice.

And what did baby Lamont think of his first concert?

"He slept through most of it. I don't think he got his $121 worth," Melanie Davidson said.

TROUBLE MAKERS KEEP POLICE BUSY

Alcohol was restricted to the 30,000 Pearl Jam fans at the Christchurch concert after four people were arrested and 25 ejected for bad behaviour.

Police and security staff at AMI Stadium also issued "countless" warnings during the Sunday night concert, Inspector Doug Parker said yesterday.

Alcohol was thought to be the major factor behind the trouble, he said.

Parker was disappointed with the troublemakers. "I would not have expected that many."

He said there were enough staff at the ground.

A private security firm was also working.

Parker said the four people arrested were likely to face charges for disorderly behaviour or similar offences. Fans walking to the stadium were seen drinking, but the amount they could buy inside was reduced at 8.30pm when security and police became concerned at the potential for trouble.

There were no reports of trouble in the city after the concert finished about 11.15pm.